


Be My Breath in the Deep Deep Water

by sartiebodyshots



Category: Dungeons & Dragons (Roleplaying Game)
Genre: Drowning, F/M, Hurt/Comfort
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-06
Updated: 2018-11-06
Packaged: 2019-08-19 17:49:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,320
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16539326
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sartiebodyshots/pseuds/sartiebodyshots
Summary: Branlin and Lou have plans to spend a relaxing evening by the water.  Things don't go exactly as planned.





	Be My Breath in the Deep Deep Water

**Author's Note:**

> Every day I thank Moony for Lou and that's the TRUTH!

Branlin loves water, which is why she suggests making camp by the lake.  She sits on the edge of the dock with her shoes off, kicking her feet through the water.  After so long on the road, it’s nice to relax for a little bit, and it’s warm enough that she’s shed her robes to relax in her tunic and shorts.  

She looks back towards land with a smile.  Lou is out of his armor, and he’s finishing setting up camp for the evening.  It’s nice watching him work, the confidence with which he moves.

Her soft musings are interrupted by a hand on her back shoving her forward.  Unable to react in time, Branlin plunges into the water.

It’s almost peaceful as she slips underwater.  She’s taken baths before, of course, but this is something different.  Branlin sinks at an almost leisurely rate, falling further from the sun.

When her chest tightens, she realizes- Branlin needs to breathe.  She kicks her feet and flails her arms.

Branlin moves so slowly in the water, and despite her struggle, she’s still falling deeper underwater.  Not only that, but her vision is darkening, as well. That can’t be a good sign, not at all.

Her body grows tired of fighting, but she doesn’t stop.  She spent too much of her life complacent; the thought of dying that way is repulsive to her.  Branlin is going to fight until she physically cannot anymore. 

There’s a spell for this in her book, Branlin knows.  Something to let her breathe water, preserve her life long enough for her to figure out how to walk back to shore, but she just can’t remember it.

The eerie blue-green tinged world has faded to nearly all black.  This is okay. This is okay. 

Lou’s face appears in her unsteady vision, and Branlin realizes that her body has stopped moving now.  That’s probably good because she wouldn’t want to accidentally hit him. Instead, she reaches out to press her hand to his cheek.  A reflex, at this point, on the rare occasions they’re eye level.

He ignores her attempts to touch him, kicking his legs forward and wrapping an arm around her.  His arm isn’t warm, but it also  _ is _ warm, in that inexplicable way that Lou always makes her feel warm.  It has nothing to do with temperature, and everything to do with some part of herself that she used to keep locked up tight.  It’s a wonderful feeling to experience before fading to unconsciousness.

* * *

Branlin’s skin is too pale and cold when Lou hauls her up onto the dock.  She lands with a thud, but doesn’t react to the impact, arms and legs splayed.

The air rushes into his own lungs as he presses against her chest, concentrating on delivering healing magic as he tries to pump the water out of her lungs.  She was underwater for a long time, but Lou isn’t going to contemplate that.

Lou’s not going to lose Branlin.  He’s just not. 

Despite the power surging into her, Branlin remains still and pale.  She looks so unlike herself like this, so… lifeless. It makes Lou’s stomach turn to even contemplate, and he plunges deeper into his well of magical healing, praying as he does so to strengthen his abilities.

Branlin coughs-  _ finally _ \- and spits up water.  Her hands grasp wildly, and Lou does his best to comfort her, taking one of her flailing hands in his and cradling her to him.  He’s noticed her reaction to touch.

When the coughing and vomiting stops, Lou nearly misses it.  Branlin is corpse like in her stillness and pallor. At least the thrashing was very much a sign of life.

“Am I…” Branlin says, voice crackly, “you know?”

“You’re alive, my dear,” Lou says, softly.  “I promise you; you’re alive.”

Branlin’s lips turn upwards, just a little.  “Thank you. Thank you, Lou.”

“Please do not go for any more swims in the lake,” Lou says, trying to find his balance after the sudden terror of her drowning.  This was supposed to be a relaxing interlude. “I would rather no more dashing rescues.”

A soft exhale that’s nearly a sign of laughter, but then she frowns.  “I didn’t… I was pushed. Can’t swim.”

“What?” Lou says, immediately on alert.

“I dunno,” Branlin says with a shrug.  She looks around, suddenly tensing. “Can we go back to solid ground?  Please?”

“Oh!  Of course,” Lou says.  

Branlin tries to sit up, but Lou scoops her up into her arms, not wanting her to strain herself.   She shivers against him, and he realizes that, while it was a pleasant enough day before, their little dip in the lake has made it feel much cooler.  

“Do you think you can change into dry clothes, my dear?” Lou asks.

Branlin nods as Lou sets her down.  She takes her robes that she had previously discarded, and turns her back to him.

Lou turns to give her her privacy, exchanging his own wet clothes for a dry set.  He listens hard to make sure she’s still moving; her breathing still sounds raspy, which concerns him.

“I’m dressed,” Branlin says.  

Branlin looks slightly more life like when Lou turns to face her.  Some of the color has returned to her face, and her eyes are less glassy than before.  

“Do you know who pushed you off the dock?  I didn’t see anyone,” Lou asks.

“Maybe I made it up.  Maybe I slipped,” Branlin says.

That doesn’t sound like Branlin; he can’t imagine her both being so careless and making up someone shoving her into the water.  But her voice is so weak and talking seems to exhaust her, so Lou doesn’t want to interrogate her.

If anything else tries to hurt her, they will regret it.

While Lou is thinking, Branlin reaches a hand out towards the firepit.  With far more effort than it usually takes, Branlin lights a fire. 

It crackles to life slowly, which is unusual, but it finally comes into itself, steady, true, and warm.  Branlin seems to perk up with it, scooting a bit closer towards the fire.

Lou crosses over to Branlin, settling down behind her.  She scoots back into his lap automatically, still damp and shivering.  

“You let me know if you need anything, my dear,” Lou murmurs to her as he wraps his arms around her to give her a bit more warmth.  

“I’m okay.  Just cold,” Branlin says in a small voice.  “This is good, though. You’re always warm to me.  Are you okay?”

“My dear, I’m not the one who nearly…” Lou’s voice falters.

“Drowned,” Branlin says firmly.  “But you are the one who leaped in after me, so you’re also probably cold and exhausted.”

“I don’t think I’ll be sleeping tonight,” Lou says.

Branlin gets to her feet with a heavy sigh of exertion.  She gently pushes Lou to the ground, and Lou lets her, laying on his side but propping his head up on one arm so he can still look at her.  He doesn’t want to let her out sight right now.

But Branlin doesn’t go far.  Instead, she lays down before him, tugging at him again.  

Lou, of course, lets her guide him.  She rests his head on her chest, and he wraps an arm around her to keep her close.  

“It’s okay,” Branlin murmurs, voice magnified.  “I’m okay. Thanks to you.”

Her fingers card through his hair, and as she falls silent, her heartbeat comes through so steadily.  That heartbeat is warm comfort. She’s warm comfort.

They lay together for the rest of the night.  Branlin’s shaking slowly subsides, and she drifts off to sleep, hand still resting in his hair.  

Lou doesn’t sleep that night, on alert for whatever may have pushed Branlin into the water.  Nothing comes, so it means he spends the night listening to Branlin’s steady heartbeat and the gentle lapping of water against the shore.


End file.
